France is taking another step to limit access to Polymarket. The country’s gambling watchdog, the Autorité Nationale Des Jeux (ANJ), said this week that it has instructed internet service providers to block the prediction market site for users in France.
The move builds on an earlier action from November 2024, when the ANJ put a financial geoblock in place to stop residents from making transactions on the platform. Even with that restriction, the agency said Polymarket continued to attract traffic from France because some users found ways around the block. According to the ANJ, French residents logged 578,751 visits to the site in June, including 205,057 unique visits.
In its latest statement, the regulator again described Polymarket as an illegal gambling site and signaled that enforcement may intensify. The ANJ also noted that people who advertise unauthorized betting or gambling services can face fines of up to 100,000 euros, or about $114,000.
France’s action comes as other governments are also moving against prediction markets. Spain has ordered access blocked to both Polymarket and Kalshi while it reviews whether they violate gambling laws, while Minnesota has passed a bill banning prediction markets from operating in the state. Other states in the US are also pursuing legal action against Polymarket and Kalshi, according to the report.
Source: engadget.com
